Israel stops cargo ship directed to Gaza

Published February 5th, 2009 - 10:35 GMT

Reporters on board a cargo ship carrying activists and aid supplies from Lebanon to Gaza Strip said Israeli gunboats have fired on the vessel.

Reporters on board a cargo ship carrying activists and aid supplies from Lebanon to Gaza Strip said Israeli gunboats have fired on the vessel. According to the AP, reporters from Al-Jadeed and Al-Jazeera TVs said the Israeli navy fired three times on the ship. The shooting caused no casualties.

Later, the local Al-Jadeed station said Israeli troops boarded the ship and threatened the crew. It said the ship was surrounded by 18 Israeli gunboats demanding the crew turn back.

The Israeli army said the ship was ordered to sail to the port city of Ashdod. The Togo-flagged "Tali," with some 60 tons of aid and eight activists and journalists, left Lebanon on Tuesday.

After an overnight stop in Cyprus, it sailed on to Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning.